


Flying

by AngelofDarkness1605



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 19:11:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3661692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofDarkness1605/pseuds/AngelofDarkness1605
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reunited with his son at last, Mr. Gold finds out that Neal has developed a passion for skydiving... and that his son's friend Belle French would like the solitary pawnbroker to jump as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying

The past week has been far beyond Mr. Gold's most optimistic of expectations. Still, the fact that his son finally agreed to be reunited with him and that they have reconciled against all hope doesn't quite explain why he is about to jump out of a small airplane.

The reason that he's persuaded into this madness is sitting right next to him, all bright blue eyes, broad smiles and flawless pale skin. Mr. Gold was thoroughly convinced that nothing could compare to being accepted back into his son's life, but meeting Belle French has opened his eyes to a whole new world.

Along with Neal's love for his fiancée Emma Swan, skydiving turns out to be the other main part of his son's life. Whenever they aren't actually skydiving, both Neal and Emma spend a lot of time at their base at the airfield. So does Belle, their equally adventurous friend who happens to live only at a short distance from Neal and Emma's apartment in Boston.

Mr. Gold was determined to give Neal all the space and time he might need, but meeting Belle made it surprisingly easy to be away from his son for a few hours every once in a while.

The two of them have talked at length at several occasions and they've had lunch together twice. He is drawn to the kind-hearted and brave beauty like he has never been to anyone or anything, but Mr. Gold is making no illusions. He is a crippled man twice her age who can give her nothing but discussions on the books she loves to read whenever she isn't skydiving or spending time with her like-minded friends.

Belle was there when Neal asked him to jump with Emma and him on his last day in Boston. Although Mr. Gold is only too happy to spend time with Neal and learn about his hobby, actually joining him for a parachute jump isn't something he imagines himself doing.

But Belle was the one to assure him that it is perfectly safe and that no previous experience with skydiving is required if he would make a tandem jump. Even his bad leg wouldn't be a problem.

In the end, it was her smiling promise that he would love it that made him forget that he's not all that good with heights and that he considers it sheer madness to jump out of a plane for fun to begin with... not to mention the complication that the two of them would make the tandem jump together, since she turned out to be the only certified instructor between the three of them.

And now they are here, sitting next to one another in the back of the plane, the roar of its engine deafening. Neal and Emma are in front of them, holding hands. The pilot and an assistant are sitting before them. Mr. Gold is quite oblivious to any of his surroundings though, for Belle's hand is resting on his knee, squeezing him encouragingly every once in a while.

She in all likelihood thinks that he needs to be calmed down, his body probably betraying his anxiety despite his strong effort to appear untroubled, but her innocent caress is only making things considerably worse. After all, she's  _touching_  him, like it's the most natural thing in the world and as if she doesn't mind the physical contact between them.

All of it impacts him so much more than she can ever know.

Indeed, the jump that's right ahead of him isn't what he's worried about. His main problem is of a much more disturbing nature. Just before they took off in the plane, Belle helped him into the required protective clothing and harness. Her touches were nothing but professional, but when her hands were on him a very specific part of him had stiffened, for a reason that was the opposite of nerves or fear.

The protective suit that he wears over his regular clothing mostly hides his embarrassment, but there's only so much the thick fabric can do when he's going to be strapped to his beautiful instructor for their tandem jump.

Mr. Gold supposed that staring right ahead of him and thinking of nothing but the plunge that he's going to make would settle matters, but her warm hand on his knee makes him forget about anything but Belle and his doubtlessly unwanted desire for her.

The more he tries to ignore her gentle touch, the more he is aware of her palm and fingers covering his knee – of the foolish, disturbingly inappropriate hope she unknowingly inspires that way. While his mind knows better than to seek any meaning behind the nothing but friendly contact – that he should be grateful for the unfamiliar touch rather than corrupting her kindness like this – his body is only too eager to imagine what else she might do.

Because he's pointedly trying  _not_ to think of what it might be like if Belle were to move her hand upwards, it takes Mr. Gold a long moment to realize that her hand is actually venturing towards the inside of his upper thigh.

His gaze flies towards her, disbelieving and confused, only to find her looking right at him and smiling gently. He's both grateful and beyond frustrated by the noise of the engine, which makes it impossible for them to talk.

There are so many things he wants to tell her, but he can't exactly think straight, doesn't know how to put any of the thoughts and feelings that are running through him into words, let alone into gestures. Indeed, even if he would be all alone in the comfort of his own home, the pawnbroker would have no idea whatsoever what to say now that the woman he's already half in love with is touching him like this.

Belle holds his gaze as her hand goes upwards another inch or so, coming to rest just below the juncture of his thighs. He swallows heavily, the carefully arranged material of both his suits now pressed in such a manner that leaves no question whatsoever about his state of arousal.

She looks at his lap, raising an eyebrow in a way that can't be mistaken for mocking, and begins to gently massage his inner thigh. Mr. Gold can't hold back a groan, not possessing the state of mind any longer to be aware that the sound is lost among the noise of the plane.

Despite himself, he cries out in protest when Belle stops, moving her hand downwards. Before his ever skeptical mind can whisper that this is naturally nothing but a cruel joke, she raises her eyebrow again. This time, he recognizes her expression as questioning.

He all but whimpers at the realization that she's nonverbally asking him whether he would like her to pleasure him.

None of the others are paying the slightest attention to them and the large meadow that they're going to jump to is nowhere in sight yet, but they couldn't, they  _shouldn't_...

But he's fully erect and desperate, somewhere between euphoria and fear, and he nods breathlessly. Belle smiles broadly at him in response, as if she's  _happy_ because of this decision, her hand moving before he can wonder about that.

Mr. Gold cries out when she cups him ever so gently, the friction very light but driving him half mad regardless. Pleasure he didn't know existed courses through him, setting him aflame.

That turns out to be only the beginning though. As Belle caresses and squeezes, heat and light spreads throughout him, all of it thoroughly overwhelming but not quite enough. No matter how much he would like to look at her, or at least at what she's doing, his eyes are firmly closed. His fingers dig into the armrest of his seat as he leans back, panting heavily.

If it weren't for the seatbelt, he might have fallen off his chair in his attempt to get closer to her, his hips bucking instinctively as he heads for someplace higher than any aircraft could ever bring him.

He isn't aware of the words and sounds that come out of his mouth. Even if it wouldn't have been for the fact that she – or anyone else – can't hear him anyway, he wouldn't have been able to do anything against the pleas, groans and doubtlessly a lot of yet more unflattering sounds that are drawn from him.

All of it is almost too much, the intensity of what she does to him bordering on terrifying, but the ending still nears far too soon. There's no way to tell her that he requires  _more_ , but still she increases the pressure and speeds up her touches, somehow giving him exactly what he needs.

He shouts and jerks in his chair when the pleasure reaches its peak, his muscles almost painfully taut and his lungs almost completely out of breath.

Mr. Gold collapses back in his chair as the unequaled sensations fade, shaking and gasping for air while a wonderful sort of heat lingers within him and sweat slides down his back.

Belle's hand moves to the side of his face and he blindly leans in to her touch, aching more than ever for her nearness for as long as she is willing to give it.

He opens his eyes only after a long moment, his body still trembling and twitching. It's not just that he wants to focus on the wonderful aftermath for as long as possible; more than anything, he's afraid of what he'll see when he looks at Belle again.

But when he looks at her again at last, there isn't as much of a hint of disgust or mockery on her seemingly rather flushed face. Instead, Belle is smiling broadly at him once more, even as she squirms somewhat in her chair, almost as if she's aroused because of touching him, by seeing him undone.

" _Thank you_ ," he says, the fact that she can't hear him only adding to his growing sense of helplessness. He doesn't even know why she did this, let alone how he can ever repay her.

_You can do the same for me once we're back down._

Mr. Gold isn't an expert on lipreading or mime by any means, but even to his disbelieving mind there's no denying the silent words on her lips and her none too subtle gestures… especially not in combination with that intent look in her eyes.

Before he can begin to even process her none too implicit invitation, a playful slap on his shoulder reminds him that the two of them aren't actually alone. He looks away from Belle to find that his son points at the world outside the plane, where the meadow that has been described to him comes into view.

Luckily Neal only glances briefly at him before turning around again, to the landlord's relief not appearing to notice anything out of the ordinary. Mr. Gold wouldn't know how to explain any of this to his son, especially since he himself doesn't understand anything about Belle's apparent desire for him.

Probably – hopefully – his son presumed that his rather disheveled state is due to nerves rather than... well. The pawnbroker glances down himself, relieved that the evidence of the release Belle gave him isn't visible through the many layers he's wearing.

He has barely regained some of his composure when the others unbuckle their seatbelts. He follows their example, his legs shaking for reasons he couldn't have imagined a few minutes ago.

What follows is a blur of movement in limited space and cold wind, and another hearty slap on his shoulder from his son which almost causes the pawnbroker to stumble on his still weak legs. Belle keeps him upright just in time.

They check their equipment again and after a final sign of confirmation, Emma jumps out of the plane with an excited smile, followed seconds later by Neal. That's his instructor's cue to come stand right behind him and attach her harness to his.

It feels completely natural and thoroughly pleasant to be securely strapped to Belle. He nods before she gestures at him whether he's ready to jump as well, the sight that greets him outside the small door of the plane not nearly as terrifying as he thought it would be.

The ground is indeed as far away as Mr. Gold expected it to be, the plane flying just as quickly, but there's nothing but eager anticipation rushing through him when she checks the harness that holds them together for the last time and positions both of them at the ledge.

After all, with Belle French at his side, he can do anything.


End file.
